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College girl stabbed to death: youth held

Thiruvananthapuram: The Rural police have arrested a youth in connection with the murder of Deepthi, a post-graduate student who was fatally stabbed inside her house at Kadackavoor on Wednesday afternoon. The accused was identified as Visakh, 23, a long-term acquaintance of Deepthi and a resident of Peroorkada.

Deepthi, who is a second year M.Sc. Chemistry student of Kollam S.N. Women's College, died at the Medical College Hospital here on Thursday. Visakh was produced before the Judicial First Class Magistrate, Attingal, on the charge of murder and remanded to 14 days in judicial custody.

Deputy Superintendent of Police, Attingal, B. Sasidharan said Visakh had murdered Deepthi for spurning him after a two-year-long love affair. He said Visakh's love for Deepthi turned into rage after she rejected him for one of his college mates. Visakh, who is studying for hotel management in a private institution, used to regularly commute to Kollam on the same train with Deepthi. The Dy.SP said that their courtship lasted two years till Deepthi fell in love with Visakh's classmate who also used to travel along with them.

The police said that Visakh had visited Deepthi's house a few times and was well acquainted with the layout of the neighbourhood. According to the police, Visakh had left his home early on Thursday equipped with two syringes filled with egg white, a chisel and chopper.

Mr. Sasidharan said the accused had planned to put Deepthi in a fatal medical condition by injecting the egg white into her veins.

The police case is that Visakh entered Deepthi's house in the afternoon. They talked for a while and Deepthi served Visakh a glass of fruit juice. Meanwhile, she left Visakh alone to make a call to her newfound friend. According to Mr. Sasidharan, the accused first tried to sink the egg white filled syringe into Deepthi's neck and when that attempt failed he stabbed her around 23 times with the chisel.

The incident came to light when Deepthi's neighbour, Limna, called on her. Limna found Deepthi lying in a pool of blood and alerted neighbours. Deepthi was taken to a local hospital in a police vehicle. Meanwhile, Visakh locked himself up in the bathroom of the house and attempted suicide by slashing his veins, the Dy.SP said.

The police later recovered a "suicide note" addressed to the police from Visakh's shirt pocket. Mr. Sasidharan said in the note Visakh had said that he wanted to take revenge against Deepthi for insulting him by spurning his love.

The police said that both the victim and the accused hail from well-off and educated families.